4 Things You Should Know To Avoid Accidentally Activating Your Fire Suppression System

4 April 2018
 Categories: , Blog

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When it comes to fire suppression systems, one of the most cumbersome possibilities is that the system will accidentally be activated when there is no fire. This can cause costly damage at your facility because it could cause water to pour down on your interiors from sprinklers. 

Fortunately, there are many ways you can avoid accidental activation if you know some basic things about your fire suppression system. The following are four things you should know to avoid accidentally activating your fire suppression system:

1. The location of the switch that manually will activate the system

Any fire suppression system should include a switch that will manually activate the system. It's important that you and all of your employees know where this switch is located to avoid flipping it by mistake.

Not only should staff members know where the manual activation is located, but the switch should also clearly be labeled so that newcomers are aware of its location and staff members don't forget its location.

2. Installation details indicating that the system was properly installed

Improper installation is a common cause of accidental fire suppression system activations. It's important to make sure that the right fusible link was used to install the system. Otherwise, accidental activation becomes likely. 

You should read over the installation and operation manual of the system when the system is installed to familiarize yourself with how the system works and what will cause the system to become activated. 

3. The proper usage and maintenance instructions for the system

There are various maintenance and usage factors you're going to have to take care of to minimize the chances that an accidental activation with occur.

For example, you need to make sure that you are not removing the unit's exhaust filter without replacing it because the exhaust filter is responsible for protecting the fusible links of the system from excessive heat or contamination by grease or another substance.

Another maintenance and upkeep task that you need to be aware of is to keep exhaust fans turning when necessary in kitchens or other areas where temperatures may otherwise rise high enough to activate the system. 

4. The location of lighting and heating apparatuses

It's important to realize that a fire suppression system works by activating when excessively high temperatures are detected in a building.

Lighting or heating equipment located too close to sensors and sprinklers could accidentally activate the system. You need to strategically place any type of equipment that produces heat so that it doesn't cause an accidental activation.